Fox's 'The Simpsons' 'predicted' the sale to Disney - two decades ago

Published 7:27 pm, Thursday, December 14, 2017

As part of the $52.4 billion Fox-Disney deal, such Fox animated series as "The Simpsons" will soon be working for Mickey Mouse's company.﻿

As part of the $52.4 billion Fox-Disney deal, such Fox animated series as "The Simpsons" will soon be working for Mickey Mouse's company.﻿

Photo: FOX BROADCASTING CO.

Fox's 'The Simpsons' 'predicted' the sale to Disney - two decades ago

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Yes, "The Simpsons" even predicted its own future parentage.

As part of the historic $52.4 billion Fox-Disney deal announced Thursday, such Fox animated series as "Family Guy" and "Bob's Burgers" will soon be donning corporate Mouse Ears. But only the granddaddy of these Fox shows, "The Simpsons," depicted the day that it would be owned by Disney.

Thursday morning, the longest-running prime-time show tweeted a throwback image to its 1998 episode "When You Wish Upon A Star," in which beneath the Twentieth Century Fox logo can be glimpsed: "A division of Walt Disney Co."

"Simpsons" showrunner Al Jean then tweeted a cheeky follow-up, tweaking those who might make too much of this "prediction."

What the coincidence really reflects is how frequently Disney has provided great fodder for the show's satire - whether "The Simpsons" is spoofing the "Beauty and the Beast" tune "Be My Guest" with "See My Vest;" parodying the first Mickey Mouse short with "Steamboat Itchy;" or making cryogenic jokes about the rumors regarding Walt Disney's re-mains.